Waterloo Automotive

You can’t just rely on driver’s ed courses when it comes to teenage driving: parent involvement before and after your teen receives their driver’s license is key. In fact, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association, teenage drivers whose parents establish driving rules and supportively monitor teenage driving are 50% less likely to get in an accident, 71% less likely to drink and drive, 30% less likely to use their phone while driving, 50% more likely to use their seatbelt, and generally less likely to speed. Give yourself a little peace of mind by following our tips for preventing teenage driving accidents. Tips for Parents: Preventing Teenage Driving AccidentsSupplement Required Teenage Driving Education Depending on where you live, your state will have different requirements for teenage driving education. For example, if you live in St. Louis, MO, your teenage driver will need to complete 40 hours o ... read more

As a parent, you have the responsibility of teaching your child many things, including changing a tire. This is one of the most important things you can teach them about their car. Tires are an essential part of a vehicle, because without them, their car won’t drive. Since tires are exposed to so much wear and tear each day, your child is bound to get a flat at some point. When this happens, knowing how to change a tire is crucial. Teaching your child about changing a tire does not have to be difficult; it is easy-to-teach when you use the following guidelines Changing a Tire 101Preliminary Precautions When changing a tire, there are some things that your child will want to do before they even begin removing their tire. If they are in a safe and convenient location, they may want to slip on a set of clean clothes. This process can be a dirty one, so your child will want to be careful if they are in nice clothes. Next, yo ... read more

The weather is cooling off and before you know it, the leaves will be changing color and collecting on the streets. Fall is a time of change, so it is important that your teen is aware of the car safety adjustments they will need to make to stay safe throughout the transition into fall. At Meyer’s Automotive, we care about your teen’s safety. This fall make sure your teen consults our list of fall car safety tips. Leaves There are few things as lovely as the change of trees’ leaves in fall. As a driver, it is important that your teen is aware of the impact leaves can have on driving conditions. If it is rainy and cool outside, leaves can become dangerous road hazards. Wet leaves can make for slippery driving conditions. So, when driving in these conditions, encourage your teen to take extra car safety measures like allowing for additional braking time. Doing so will help your teen come to safer stops and could even help prevent accidents ... read more

Celebrating the New Year is a great and fun way to celebrate everything in your life and starting over in a different year. If you are going to celebrate with friends this year, it is good to keep these tips in mind: Drinking If you are under 21, be careful about drinking. Do not put yourself in a position you are not comfortable with or in an unsafe environment. Be mindful of drunk people opening champagne bottles (whether they are alcoholic or not). Some people do not aim the cork away from people. It is all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye. Unless you are with a close group of friends, make sure you pay attention to your drink at all times. Do not sit your drink down, walk away, and end up drinking it later. Hand it off to a friend if you need to use the bathroom. Driving Do not drink and drive. If you have had a couple drinks, have a sober friend drive you or get a cab. Cops will be out in fu ... read more

Many parents have had the discussion with their kids about what to do if they are stranded in a location after-hours and not in a condition to drive. Parents, we applaud you if you have. Teenagers often make mistakes and get into compromising situations, which can be even more dangerous if they have car keys. At other times, they will have to make wise decisions by choosing not getting into the car of an intoxicated friend. Either way, it’s important for them to know whom to call and what to do. Hopefully, in these situations, the first call they will make will be to you, but that may not always be the case. In those times, your child needs to know what options are available for transportation. In a major metro area like St. Louis, a variety of city-run public transportation is available. With the Metrobus and Metrolink systems, teens can access stations depending on their location and easily get from one spot to the next. Because public transportation maps ... read more

Many proud moments come with being the parent of teenagers. Athletic events, recitals, grades, class projects and even the simple act of watching your child become an adult all can make your heart swell as you realize that your once little person is now growing up. Another proud moment for many parents is the one when they finally take the passenger’s seat in their car and hand the keys to their child. It’s a rite of passage that can only be experienced once, and it’s a big moment for both parents and teens—one that establishes a higher level of responsibility for the new driver. Because of that responsibility, which includes themselves, their passengers, other drivers and the automobile, it is important that teens be properly prepared to take the road. Yes, as a parent you will do so much to help your teen learn the basic mechanics of driving, but it’s also a good idea to allow your student to take part in a driver’s education course that prepares them for both the menta ... read more